UNMIK Media Observer, Afternoon Edition, August 19, 2024

Albanian Language Media:

Osmani talks to COMKFOR about Iber Bridge: Success is achieved with allies (Koha)
Kurti in USA, participates in officialization of Kamala Harris as candidate for president (media)
Dimal Basha: Media helping Serbia and Russia to misinform (ekonomia)
The Hybrid Platform reacts to Dimal Basha’s comments on their report (ekonomia)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls diaspora to participate of population census (RTK)
Haziri: Countdown begins for this government that failed in every promise, the big comeback will happen (ekonomia)
A person arrested in Gorazhdec for singing songs that incite inter-ethnic division and hatred (media)

Serbian Language Media:

Office for KiM: Apprehension of Zlaticanin staged persecution (Radio KIM, media)
Serbian List reacts to arrest in Gorazdevac (Kosovo Online)
Sljuka: Many people drive cars registered in Serbia with authorization, there is still no solution for them (Kosovo Online)
Kosovo Property Agency takes away premises used by Pensioners Association in Mitrovica North (Kosovo Online)
Half a million euros for restoration of Xhafer Deva’s house in Mitrovica South (Euronews, media)
Gudzic: Ulpiana is not part of Albanian cultural heritage (Kosovo Online)
“Beqir’s Church” desecrated again (Radio KIM, media)
Activist: Future protests will depend on actions of authorities, Rio Tinto (N1, BETA)

International:

‘Bad Blood’ Stalks a Lithium Mine in Serbia (The New York Times)

Humanitarian/Development:

Families of missing Serbs and Albanians: Politics is blocking process of finding our loved ones (Kosovo Online)

Albanian Language Media

Osmani talks to COMKFOR about Iber Bridge: Success is achieved with allies (Koha)

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani met on Monday with the commander of KFOR, Ozkan Ulutash. In the announcement issued by Osmani herself on Facebook, it is said that the opening of the main bridge over the Iber River was the topic of discussion at this meeting. Osmani said that the opening of the bridge is in the interest of all citizens.

"The opening of the bridge as an act of normalization and integration is in the interest of all citizens, regardless of ethnicity. Long-term and stable success is always achieved together with allies", Osmani wrote.

Kurti in USA, participates in officialization of Kamala Harris as candidate for president (media)

The Prime Minister of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, will participate this Monday in the Democratic National Convention in Chicago of the United States of America, where the appointment of Kamala Harris as a presidential candidate for the November elections in the United States will be formalized.

Apart from Kurti, the member of the leadership of the Democratic League of Kosovo, Alush Gashi, and the secretary for Foreign Relations of the Democratic Party of Kosovo, Bernard Nikaj, will be present at the convention.

Dimal Basha: Media helping Serbia and Russia to misinform (ekonomia)

Dimal Basha, MP of the Vetevendosje Movement (LVV), has commented on the findings of the fact-checking hybrid.info report on disinformation in the period from July 2023 to June 2024.

"Prime Minister Albin Kurti remains the person about whom is the most misinformed, and the report shows that the misinforming publications in Albanian about Kurti are related to the decision of the Central Bank of Kosovo to ban of the Serbian dinar in Kosovo, the arming of the KSF, the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue, the population census, the overthrow of the Kurti Government, etc.,” Basha wrote.

He said that the Albanian-language media are helping Serbia and Russia to misinform. "The areas with the most misinformation in the disinformation category are related to security and political issues, and this shows us that Serbia and Russia are active in our country and are working hard to misinform the public about any decision of the Prime Minister, but without neglecting media in Albanian that are helping Serbia and Russia in this misinformation", he said.

The Hybrid Platform reacts to Dimal Basha’s comments on their report (ekonomia)

The fact-checking platform, Hybrid.info, has reacted after Vetevendosje MP, Dimal Basha, who used their report and attacked the media in Kosovo. Hybrid said that the part where Basha says that the media is helping Russia and Serbia with misinformation is not part of their report.

“Due to the space left for misinterpretation and the media's interest in this issue, hybrid.info clarifies that the part of MP Basha's publication is a personal comment of the MP and is not part of the report.”

Hybrid also said that the figures presented by Basha do not match the data of the report they published last week. "Based on the work methodology, hybrid.info evaluates this claim as "wrong".

Ministry of Foreign Affairs calls diaspora to participate of population census (RTK)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora have called for the participation of the diaspora in the population census. Kosovo's ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland, Ilir Kapiti, addressed the diaspora through a video message.

"It is a very important process for us as well as for you, for the plans we make, for the developments we will have in the two countries", he said, speaking about the two countries in which he is ambassador. The last day of registration for the diaspora is August 31.

Haziri: Countdown begins for this government that failed in every promise, the big comeback will happen (ekonomia)

The deputy leader of the Democratic League of Kosovo (LDK), Lutfi Haziri, announced a meeting of the LDK branch in Gjilan, where he said that the oldest party in Kosovo "reactivated the party mechanisms, Chairs of the forums, Sub-branches, professional commissions, commissioners and observers on the work on the new agenda", after the president set February 9, 2025 as the date of regular parliamentary elections.

The former mayor of Gjilan expressed optimism that "the great return will happen and LDK remains the party of faith and hope".

"The countdown of this government that suffered fiasco in every aspect, begins. They came to power with violent methods, with lynching of political opponents, with false causes, with populism par excellence and polarized the political scene to the extent that they brought Kosovo close to fratricide. Well, what did they do?! They degraded every pore of life, failed in every promise in a striking way and still continued with frauds", Haziri wrote.

He mentioned the old phrases of the Vetevendosje Movement and the successive failures, as he said. "Today in the institutions of the Republic, the ‘patchwork flag' still flies, they forgot the national unity, they even degraded the relations with Albania to such a degree that there is not even interpersonal communication, while, as never before, they divided the Albanians of Eastern Kosovo and those of North Macedonia.

We mustn't forget also his biggest deception that "he will not continue the dialogue with Serbia", and then he smiled several times in the meetings with Vucic, from which an autonomy was produced for the Serbs and Kosovo was included in a legally binding agreement . What is most terrible, they brought deep political and economic depression to Kosovo and the municipalities where they lead, and caused despair in the name of the hope they planted in the citizens. They exempted Anamorava from all care and stopped the construction projects that we had secured for them with great effort," wrote Haziri. He said that now their days will be counted backwards, but their failures will be counted one by one as well.

A person arrested in Gorazhdec for singing songs that incite inter-ethnic division and hatred (media)

The Kosovo police have announced that in Gorazhdec of Peja they have arrested a suspect for the criminal offense of inciting discord and impatience. According to the Police announcement, he is suspected of having, together with several other people, sung songs with content that promote division, impatience and inter-ethnic hatred in a loud voice.

"The Regional Directorate of Police in Peje, Police Station in Peje, dated 12.08.2024, at around 11:45 p.m., it was announced that in the village of Gorazhdec-Peje, some people were singing songs with content that promote division, impatience and inter-ethnic hatred loudly, they were consuming alcohol and breaking bottles, after the Police went to the scene, the suspects had left the scene", the Police announcement states.

The suspect was reportedly identified and arrested on Sunday, August 18. "After an intensive work by police officers on 18.08.2024, it was possible to identify and arrest one of the suspects for this criminal offense, after being interviewed by the investigators, the suspect was detained for 48 hours by the decision of the state prosecutor", it is stated in notification.

Serbian Language Media

Office for KiM: Apprehension of Zlaticanin staged persecution (Radio KIM, media)

“Apprehension of Luka Zlaticanin (45) from Gorazdevac because of singing a song is a mirror of anti-Serb hysteria and hatred by Albin Kurti’s regime”, Office for Kosovo and Metohija said in a statement, Radio KIM reported.

“Instead of arresting and prosecuting those who heinously murdered Serbian children at Bistrica River (on August 13, 2003 in Gorazdevac village), a Serb from Gorazdevac was arrested for alleged obstruction of public peace and order”, the statement added.

The Office also said it is particularly indicative that Zlaticanin was arrested almost a week after the alleged act, which points out “to staged persecution and ethnic background” of this case, aiming at intimidating and disturbing Serbs there.

Zlaticanin was sent to 48-hour detention and transferred to Decane police station. He is father of three children, lives with his family in Gorazdevac and they never left it.

“These acts target the Serbs in Metohija aiming at their intimidation and ultimate expulsion from those areas, while Albanian extremists on a daily basis are writing graffiti of hatred, terrorist KLA, threaten, mistreat and beat up the Serbs, and those who shot at Serbian children walk free”, the statement said.

Regional police directorate in Pec confirmed Zlaticanin was sent to 48-hour detention. According to the Kosovo police “on August 12, 2024, around 23.45 in the village of Gorazdevac some people were singing songs, promoting discord, intolerance and ethnic hatred, loudly. They consumed alcohol and broke bottles. After police came to the spot, the suspects left”.

Serbian List reacts to arrest in Gorazdevac (Kosovo Online)

Arrest and detention of Luka Zlaticanin from Gorazdevac because he sang a song causes embitterment of Serbs across Kosovo, in particular because Kosovo police is not so “eager and professional” to act on dozens of reports relating to attacks on Serbs, their properties or Serbian Orthodox Church, Serbian List said in a statement.

“Albin Kurti’s regime does its utmost to silence all the Serbs or make them disappear from those areas and is using institutions they run to achieve this. These very same institutions arresting Serbs because of songs, up to date did not provide answers as to who are those responsible for the heinous murder and wounding of the Serbian children in Gorazdevac”, the statement added.

The Serbian List also demanded Zlaticanin be released and called upon the international community to pay greater attention to “politically staged accusations”. Serbian List said it is shameful that a family man as Zlaticanin be separated from his family in detention, just because he sung a song. It also said given upcoming elections Pristina authorities, due to lack of success in any field, would attempt to make up for it by mistreating the Serbs and that is why the international community should pay additional attention.

Sljuka: Many people drive cars registered in Serbia with authorization, there is still no solution for them (Kosovo Online)

Aleksandar Sljuka from New Social Initiative told Kosovo Online he believes that after the deadline, August 23, given for the replacement of driver's licenses issued by Serbian police departments relocated from Kosovo, Kosovo police will consistently enforce the measures it has announced, which include fines ranging from 500 to 1,500 euros for those driving with such licenses.

He said the problem remains what will happen to people who drive vehicles registered in cities in central Serbia and for which they have authorization to operate.

"We heard at the beginning of this process that a solution would be found for this issue, but we have not seen it yet. I am concerned about how it will be resolved, within what timeframe, and whether people will be able to adapt to it. The problem is that people can replace their driver's licenses addressed to cities in Kosovo with Kosovo ones, but then with a Kosovo license, they drive a car registered with Serbian plates, which is not allowed under Kosovo law. So, it is very important how this issue will be resolved, and I think there are many people currently operating this way. I sincerely hope that it will be communicated well, even though we have seen that such issues usually encounter difficulties in implementation. I hope that won't happen here", Sljuka pointed out.

Kosovo Property Agency takes away premises used by Pensioners Association in Mitrovica North (Kosovo Online)

Kosovo Property Agency took away premises that Pensioners Association from Mitrovica North used since 1999, Kosovo Online portal reported citing Belgrade-based Novosti daily. Dusanka Vlahovic, Association Secretary told the daily that their members also include Albanians, Gorani, Bosniaks, adding they were recently told by the Property Agency to halt the works they were carrying to refurbish the premises.

“They came and ordered us to halt the works we started wanting to create slightly better conditions for the work in the premises we used for 25 years, to redecorate the office and the club for our members”, she said, adding that representatives of the agency placed a yellow tape in front of the premises.

“Now we are forced to work in a corridor in front of the Veterans Association, which would most probably also be the target of the Pristina agency”, she said.

She also said the Agency has changed the ownership structure of dozens of business premises in North Mitrovica downtown, which were owned by socially owned enterprises, such as trade chain company Lux, Trepca and other public companies. She noted those premises were built by Serbian companies and enterprises and are being taken away.

She also said that “Serbs do not take part in those bids, because they are not informed, and in particular because they are aware they would not have the possibility to lease or purchase the premises on bids, because the Agency always and in every case would give advantage to Albanians”.

As she said seizure of Serbian properties is only continuation of different tortures Serbs are exposed in the north of Kosovo, and those which detrimentally affected the elderly population in particular, include dinar ban, ban on bringing medications and Serbian goods, closure of Postal Saving Bank offices, Serbian Post Office and other.

Half a million euros for restoration of Xhafer Deva’s house in Mitrovica South (Euronews, media)

The Kosovo Ministry of Culture has invested half a million euros in renovation of Xhafer Deva’s house in Mitrovica South. Deva was a nazi collaborator and the interior minister in the government of “Greater Albania” in 1943 and 1944, also responsible for persecution and murders of Serbs, Roma and Jews in Kosovo during the WWII, Euronews in Serbian language reported.

Although non-governmental organizations active in the Serbian community, journalists reporting in the Serbian, Serbs in Kosovo and Jewish associations, including director of Simon Wiesenthal Centre Efraim Zuroff were against the renovation, the works continue and would be completed soon. The Euronews also reported that descendants of those who perished during Deva’s time are embittered with this renovation.

The Euronwes recalled that two years ago, the EU and UNDP in Kosovo withdrew from the project after it caused strong protests from the public and international community. Now the money is invested by Swedish non-governmental organization Cultural Heritage Without Borders with its branch in Kosovo.

Asked by Euronews Serbia if they know that they are renovating the house in Kosovo considered to be owned by Xhafer Deva, Swedish organization said they would follow up to see how it occurred that they invested the money in renovation of a nazi collaborator house. The media outlet said 15 days had passed since the inquiry but replay was not received, while the Kosovo branch of this organization did not reply at all.

Gudzic: Ulpiana is not part of Albanian cultural heritage (Kosovo Online)

Gracanica-based historian, Aleksandar Gudzic, told Kosovo Online portal that attempts to extinguish Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and erase the memory of Serbian presence in these areas is not a recent development. He pointed out that the political and academic circles among Kosovo Albanians often promote the narrative that "the Serbs occupied Kosovo".

"Experience has shown that it is not enough just to expel the Serbs and destroy their heritage; it is also necessary to establish a new narrative, to imprint in the minds of ordinary people the memory of Albanian continuity in these areas. This narrative has its roots long before Kosovo 'independence.' According to this narrative, the Serbs occupied Kosovo, initially during the time of the Nemanjic dynasty, building their churches and monasteries on the foundations of existing ones. Later, during the Ottoman period, the Albanian people were liberated, only for the Serbs to reoccupy the territory in 1912", he explained.

Speaking about Ulpiana, he recalled that those are the remains of an ancient Roman and Byzantine city that has no connection to Albanians, adding one cannot speak of Ulpiana as Albanian cultural heritage.

"I understand why Kosovo institutions and the broader public insist so much on Ulpiana. When tourists or Western delegations visit, the most representative site that Kosovo Albanians can offer the world is Ulpiana. It is the only place where they can go. If they visit Gracanica, they will be greeted by representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church; if they visit Novo Brdo, the traces of Serbian history are evident. So, Ulpiana is the only place where they can bring visitors and showcase what Kosovo has, while also emphasizing their supposed Illyrian origins through this narrative", he said.

“Beqir’s Church” desecrated again (Radio KIM, media)

Strpce mayor Dalibor Jevitc said Monday that “Beqir’s Church” located on the road leading to the ski-center Brezovica had been desecrated by vandals again, Radio KIM reported.

In a post on Facebook, Jevtic recalled that unknown perpetrators have scattered around, burned and demolished Orthodox icons in July last year as well.

“And now, after a year and so we find the same image, the icons scattered around all the way to the regional road, broken, left on the ground. Who is bothered by Orthodox icons and why? How long will the markings of one nation be desecrated? This is the result of ethno-nationalist policy of (Albin) Kurti and his regime in Pristina”, Jevtic said. He added those believing that acts like this one would discourage Serbs were in deception, as this makes their determination to stay in those areas even stronger.

Jevtic recalled that this ‘church’ was created by Beqir, an Albanian from Strpce who became Orthodox Christian, by placing Orthodox icons in the forest and nature.

Activist: Future protests will depend on actions of authorities, Rio Tinto (N1, BETA)

Activist of the We Won't Give Up Jadar association Zlatko Kokanovic said a meeting of the Association of Environmental Organizations of Serbia (SEOS) was held in the village of Tekeris and that the form of future protests against the planned lithium mining in Serbia will depend on how the authorities and Rio Tinto respond, N1 reported.

Kokanovic, who attended Sunday the commemoration of the 110th anniversary of the WWI Battle of Cer in Tekeris, told the Beta news agency that SEOS is in touch with many environmentalists and that a joint meeting is expected in the coming days.

He confirmed that protests are definitely planned, with people across Serbia already rallying. However, the specifics of the protests will hinge on the actions of the authorities and Rio Tinto, adding that “the ball is now in their court”. Kokanovic emphasized that the spontaneous gatherings of people have clearly voiced their opposition to lithium mining.

He said the message to both Rio Tinto and anyone else looking to exploit lithium in Serbia is as follows: “We won’t allow it. You can only mine over our dead bodies. There’s no going back. We’re aware of the burden we carry, and there will be no retreat”.

International

‘Bad Blood’ Stalks a Lithium Mine in Serbia (The New York Times)

A Rio Tinto mine that Europe sees as a critical source for electric vehicle batteries has been the target of enormous protests. “I don’t need green cars. I need green apples and green grass,” said one opponent.

Their windows broken and roofs smashed, the abandoned homes in an otherwise bucolic valley carpeted with cornfields and orchards near Serbia’s border with Bosnia look like the wreckage of the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

But the houses are actually the casualties of a current struggle freighted with geopolitics: where and how Europe can get the materials it needs to make electric car batteries and break its dependence on sources like China. The houses, in the Jadar Valley in the west of Serbia, were bought up years ago by the minerals behemoth Rio Tinto, which planned to tear them down and start mining and processing lithium, a crucial element for electric car batteries. Its plans stalled by vociferous opposition, the company left the properties to crumble.